Facial Exercises for Cheeks: What Worked for Me for Fuller Cheeks

By: Linda Robison — Certified Facial Fitness Specialist

Disclosure: As an affiliate partner and Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

By: Linda Robison — Certified Facial Fitness Specialist

Disclosure: As an affiliate partner and Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

These are the cheek exercises that gave me the best results in the least amount of time.

Stronger cheek muscles can help you get a naturally lifted look, while also making the midface appear fuller and more defined.

And when your cheeks move up, the lower face often looks firmer too.

My cheeks are higher and fuller now than they were in my late 40s.

See Sagging Cheeks Before and After results!

Why fuller cheeks can make the face look more lifted

Fuller cheeks can help the midface look more defined and balanced. As we age, the cheeks can start to look flatter or lose some of that rounded shape, which can make the lower face look heavier.

That’s one reason I like cheek exercises. By strengthening the cheek muscles, you may be able to improve the look of fullness and lift through the midface without adding filler.

Facial exercises for fuller, lifted cheeks

To get a naturally fuller, lifted look, you need to target your cheek muscles with specific facial exercises. These “cheek workouts” build strength and add visible volume in the midface.

One of the best is the Cheek Shaper.

How I use the Cheek Shaper to tone and lift my cheeks

The Cheek Shaper is one of the facial exercises that made the biggest difference in the fullness and shape of my cheeks.

I’ve been doing this exercise for years, and for me the change was gradual but noticeable. My cheeks became fuller, more defined and looked higher than they did in my late 40s.

How to do the Cheek Shaper

If you're looking for a facial exercise for fuller cheeks, this is the move I use to help tone and lift the cheek area.

1. Wrap your lips gently over your teeth.
   Keep the lips tucked in as you do the exercise.
2. Place your fingers.
   Put your index fingers at the corners of your mouth and your middle fingers just above them, forming a V shape on each side of your face.
3. Create light resistance.
   Gently pull the corners of your mouth slightly outward and upward.
4. Smile upward against the resistance.
   Keep the lip wrap in place and smile firmly so you can feel the cheek muscles working.
5. Hold the contraction.
   Keep the cheeks engaged for a moment, then relax and repeat.

One small detail I asked Carolyn about

This is something I think is really important.

I once asked Carolyn if wrapping the lips over the teeth was really necessary because, for me, I could actually feel a stronger pull in my cheeks when I simply smiled wide and upward.

She explained that the lip wrap changes which muscles are being engaged. Without it, you can still feel the cheeks working, but you may not build the front of the cheek in the same way.

She told me the wrap is important for creating a fuller cheek shape and for working the area around the nasolabial fold and upper lip.

So even though smiling wide may feel stronger, I still use the lip wrap the way Carolyn teaches it.

How often should I do facial exercises for cheeks?

Carolyn recommends doing the Cheek Shaper:

• 4 times a week for the first 6 weeks
• 3 times a week for the next 8 weeks
• then twice a week for maintenance

For me, consistency mattered much more than trying to make the exercise harder. The changes were gradual, but over time I saw a real improvement in the fullness, shape and lift of my cheeks. That’s why I always suggest taking a few before-and-after photos — small changes can be hard to notice day to day.

Find other FREE sample exercises to add to your workout.

Why I chose exercises over cheek fillers

Before and after: I took this photo after consistently doing facial exercises. My cheeks looked fuller and more defined—and my face no longer felt bloated & heavy.

I tried cheek filler once in my late 40s when my cheeks were starting to look flatter and my nasolabial folds were getting deeper.

For me, it wasn’t the look I wanted. Instead of making my cheeks look more lifted, my face looked heavier and puffier.

That experience is what pushed me toward facial exercises.

With exercises, the change was slower, but it looked more natural on me. Over time, I saw better shape, more fullness through the cheeks and a more lifted look without adding volume all at once.

Fillers and facial exercises work very differently. Fillers add volume immediately. Facial exercises work the muscles underneath over time.

That is why I stuck with the exercises.

Do cheek plumping creams work?

Cheek plumping creams can make the skin look smoother and a little fuller temporarily, especially if they’re hydrating. But they don’t strengthen the cheek muscles or create the kind of fuller cheek shape I got from facial exercises.

That said, I still like to use skincare to support the area. Personally, I use a nourishing anti-aging facial oil for my facial massage and cheek exercises, along with an omega-3 cream.

The oil makes massage smoother and more comfortable, and the cream helps keep my skin hydrated so my cheeks look smoother and healthier afterward.

Some people are also curious about volumizing creams like Volumnfien on Amazon. They may give a temporary surface plumpness, but they won’t build cheek muscle or give the same kind of change I got from facial exercises.

For me, the real change in the shape and fullness of my cheeks came from facial exercises. Creams help support the skin, but they don’t replace working the cheek muscles.

Facial massage to lift cheeks naturally

Facial massage can be a helpful add-on to cheek exercises, especially if your goal is to lift cheeks naturally and improve the look of facial firmness.

For me, massage is more about helping with puffiness, relaxing tight areas and keeping the face looking fresher. I don’t look at it as a replacement for cheek exercises.

I like to combine massage with my facial exercise routine because the two work differently. The exercises work the cheek muscles, while massage helps support the surrounding tissue and skin.

If you want the step-by-step massage techniques I use, see my full face lift massage guide.

FAQs

Final thoughts

While cheek exercises may help improve the look of lift and fullness, I think the best results come when they’re part of a full-face routine. Working the entire face helps keep everything looking balanced—from your forehead to your jawline and neck.

That’s why I like a full facial workout like Carolyn’s Facial Fitness. It works the whole face in under 15 minutes, just a few times a week.

Ready to work on fuller, more lifted-looking cheeks naturally? Start with the cheek exercise above and see what changes you notice over time.

About the Author:

Linda Robison is a Certified Facial Fitness Specialist and founder of Anti-Aging Beauty Zone, where she shares practical tips, products, techniques, and at-home options for women over 40. She personally tests many of the methods she writes about.

Experience: Linda spent nearly 15 years as an Anti-Aging Health Advisor at the Life Extension Foundation and has over 30 years of experience testing facial anti-aging techniques, including training in Carolyn’s Facial Fitness. Her work has been featured in GB News and Beauty Box Magazine. You can view her background on LinkedIn and follow her on Pinterest.

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